Deployment of ultrasonic melt flow enhancement technology to achieve energy savings of 27% across the energy intensive, injection moulded consumer packaging sector

RPC-Superfos设计、开发和制造创新的塑料包装解决方案，我们的大部分碳排放与制造过程直接相关。关注能源效率是我们企业责任的重要组成部分——我们的年度报告和账目中报告了电力和碳排放情况，为了监控能源使用情况，我们正在各工厂推行能源管理体系ISO50001。热塑性注射成型是一种能源密集型工艺，室温颗粒在注射单元的螺杆和筒体内加热，直到达到熔体温度，此时粘度足够低，可以将材料注射到冷模中形成产品。从熔融的聚合物材料中提取热量到模具的钢中，通过在模具中循环冷却水来保持钢的温度。将熔融聚合物注入模具所需的粘度决定了最低熔体温度，因为熔体粘度随着熔体温度的升高而降低。熔体温度决定冷却时间；熔体温度越低，所需的冷却时间越短，循环时间越短，提高了生产率。我们建议在注射过程中使用超声波振动系统，这可以提供类似于暂时降低熔体粘度的流动增强。熔体粘度的降低使熔体温度降低，补偿了由于温度降低而增加的粘度。测试表明，每次成型能耗降低20%以上，生产率提高20%。我们的奥克汉姆生产基地运营着约48台注塑机，生产消费品包装产品，我们对这个项目的愿景是在整个工厂推广这项技术，目标是将生产用电量减少20%以上。通过提高生产力和减少碳足迹，注塑机将有助于实现政府的净零碳排放和清洁增长战略目标，以实现“…提高能源生产率，到2030年至少提高20%”，主要解决“提高商业和工业效率”的主题。

RPC-Superfos designs, develops and manufactures innovative plastic packaging solutions and the majority of our carbon emissions are linked directly with the manufacturing process. A focus on energy efficiency is a large part of our corporate responsibility - electricity and carbon emissions are reported in our Annual Reports & Accounts and to monitor energy use the energy management system ISO50001 is being rolled out across our sites.Thermoplastic injection moulding is an energy intensive process, whereby room temperature granules are heated within the screw and barrel of the injection unit until they reach the melt temperature, at which point the viscosity is sufficiently low to inject the material into the cold mould to form the product. Heat is extracted from the molten polymer material into the steel of the mould, the temperature of which is maintained by circulating chilled water through the mould.The viscosity required to inject molten polymer into the mould is what dictates the minimum melt temperature, as melt viscosity reduces with increasing melt temperature. Melt temperature governs the cooling time; the lower the melt temperature, the less cooling time required, with shorter cycle times improving productivity.We propose to use an ultrasonic vibration system applied to the melt during injection, which provides a flow enhancement akin to a temporarily reduction in melt viscosity. This reduction in melt viscosity then enables a lower melt temperature, compensating for the otherwise increased viscosity due to the lower temperatures. Testing has shown over 20% reduction in energy consumption per moulding and a 20% productivity improvement.Our Oakham manufacturing site operates ~48 injection moulding machines, producing consumer packaging products, and our vision with this project is to roll out the technology across the site, with a goal of reducing production electricity consumption by over 20%.Through increasing productivity and reducing our carbon footprint, injection moulders will help to meet the Government's net zero carbon and Clean Growth Strategy targets for industry to "...improve their energy productivity, by at least 20% by 2030", primarily addressing the 'improving business and industry efficiency' theme.